Published 11:41 am, Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Iztaccihuatl volcano, more than 16,000 feet above sea level, is a constant presence in Puebla.

The Iztaccihuatl volcano, more than 16,000 feet above sea level, is a constant presence in Puebla.

Photo: Ricardo Espinosa, Mexico Tourism Board

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Puebla's cuisine, a mix of pre-Hispanic and European techniques, is known as one of Mexico's best; it is most renowned for chiles en nogada and chicken mole poblano, pictured, both of which lay claim to the title of the country's national dish. less

Puebla's cuisine, a mix of pre-Hispanic and European techniques, is known as one of Mexico's best; it is most renowned for chiles en nogada and chicken mole poblano, pictured, both of which lay claim to the ... more

Photo: Ricardo Espinosa, Mexico Tourism Board

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Among Puebla's beautiful Baroque buildings, the Museo de Casa del Alfe ique has a collection of religious paintings and ancient artifacts.

Among Puebla's beautiful Baroque buildings, the Museo de Casa del Alfe ique has a collection of religious paintings and ancient artifacts.

Photo: Ricardo Espinosa, Mexico Tourism Board

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A street lined with colonial buildings leads to the Baroque Templo de la Compania de Jesus, one Puebla's most beautiful churches.

A street lined with colonial buildings leads to the Baroque Templo de la Compania de Jesus, one Puebla's most beautiful churches.

Photo: Ricardo Espinosa, Mexico Tourism Board

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Camote, alegrias and crystallized fruits are among the traditional sweets that have been perfected over the centuries and come in all shapes and sizes.

Camote, alegrias and crystallized fruits are among the traditional sweets that have been perfected over the centuries and come in all shapes and sizes.

Photo: Ricardo Espinosa, Mexico Tourism Board

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A patio in the Hotel Camino Real.

A patio in the Hotel Camino Real.

Photo: Ricardo Espinosa, Mexico Tourism Board

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Puebla's cuisine, a mix of pre-Hispanic and European techniques, is known as one of Mexico's best; it is most renowned for chiles en nogada, pictured, and chicken mole poblano, both of which lay claim to the title of the country's national dish. less

Puebla's cuisine, a mix of pre-Hispanic and European techniques, is known as one of Mexico's best; it is most renowned for chiles en nogada, pictured, and chicken mole poblano, both of which lay claim to the ... more

Photo: Arturo Sanchez, Wikipedia

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7 reasons to visit Puebla right now

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Whether because it lies in the shadow of Mexico City, or because so little tourism information is available in (comprehensible) English, or for some other mysterious reason, foreign tourists tend to overlook Puebla in droves. Now is an ideal time to get acquainted with this colonial beauty — the home of Talavera tile, origin of some of Mexico's most famous cuisine, site of the battle commemorated by Cinco de Mayo, and beneficiary of one of the most dramatic backdrops imaginable — Mexico's iconic twin volcanoes, simmering Popocatepetl and slumbering Iztaccihuatl.

With full acknowledgement that this only begins to dip into the city's pleasures, here are our favorite reasons to discover Puebla this year. For more details and further inspiration, you can't do better than the award-winning English-language website, All About Puebla.

Cinco de Mayo: The holiday that the United States most widely associates with Mexico (often mistaking it for the country's Independence Day) is celebrated with far less fervor south of the border. Puebla, not surprisingly, is the exception: Cinco de Mayo is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, in which a ragtag Mexican force defeated a professional French army in 1862. Overlooking the fleeting nature of the victory — Napoleon soon regrouped, conquered Puebla and ruled until 1867 — May 5 became a patriotic symbol of triumph over foreign oppression. The city's annual observance, spearheaded by a massive civic parade in which even France participates, culminates in a battle re-enactment attended by rifles, cannon, swordplay, dancing, a bullfight and fireworks.

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Food: Puebla's distinctive blend of pre-Hispanic and European cooking techniques is Mexico's proudest cuisine. The most renowned of its comida típica (typical foods) are chiles en nogada and chicken mole poblano, both laying lay claim to the title of Mexico's national dish, along with such traditional sweets as camotes (a sweet-potato candy), alegrias and crystallized fruits.

Mole poblano, with a sauce blending several kinds of chile, herbs and spices, sesame and other seeds, nuts, chocolate and about 30 other ingredients, could have made Puebla the country’s culinary capital all on its own. But chiles en nogada, created in 1821 to honor Augustín de Iturbide for his role in the War of Independence, is every bit as ambrosial and has patriotism on its side. Large, mild poblano chiles stuffed with ground meat, fruit, nuts and spices are covered with a silky sauce of cream, cheese and ground walnuts, garnished with pomegranate seeds: The red, white and green colors represent the nation’s new flag. Try it in August and September, when pomegranates are in season, at Casa de los Muñecos.

History: Cinco de Mayo is just one of the pivotal events in Mexican history that took place in Puebla. As a buffer zone between numerous rival kingdoms, it was a major stopover for pre-Hispanic trade, though it eventually fell to the mercy of Moctezuma's Aztecs. Its population plundered by the Aztecs' thirst for sacrificial blood, Puebla (then called Cuetlaxcoapan) was more than ready to join Cortés in his campaign against the Aztecs. As a safe zone for Spaniards traveling between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz, it became a prosperous commercial center. Later, this is where Emiliano Zapata broke from President Francisco Madera and drafted his 1911 Plan de Ayala, the blueprint for free elections and land and agrarian reform that elevated him to leader of the Mexican Revolution.

Architecture: More than 5,000 colonial buildings grace the city with a fantasy of Baroque towers, Moorish domes, kaleidoscopic tiles and plateresque facades. On the main plaza, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception — better known as Puebla Cathedral — built in 1575, boasts Mexico's tallest church towers and is a veritable architectural encyclopedia, with 14 chapels of various styles. Another masterpiece, the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, was built in 1646 for the pontifical seminary and is believed to be the first public library in the Americas. In fact, religion inspired much of Puebla's (and Mexico's) most impressive architecture. One of the most beautiful is the lacy white Templo de la Compañía de Jesus, built by the Jesuits in the 16th century.

Public spaces: Puebla's zócalo, the Plaza de la Constitucion, once the site of public hangings and bullfights, is famous for its centerpiece 18th century fountain and the 16th-century portales, or arched walkways, surrounding it. As in every Mexican city and town, this is the center of the city's cultural, political and religious life. Several blocks away, the much larger Paseo Bravo, with a Talavera-tiled church at one end and a cantina at the other, teems with food carts, teenagers and office workers taking a break in the shade. The quixotically named Plazuela de los Sapos ("Plaza of the Toads"), lined with antique shops, bars and restaurants — many of which have live music in the evenings — hosts an outdoor antiques and flea market.

Art: Long before the Spanish arrived, Puebla was an Indian pottery-making center, and the natives happily incorporated designs and techniques — believed to have originated in Talavera de la Reina, Spain — brought by the padres. Production of Talavera pottery reached its height in the late 17th century; originally blue and white, it took on green, orange and yellow hues in the 18th century. Even a short stroll through the city presents a crazy quilt of patterned tiles on ledges, domes, fountains, churches and hotels. You can watch the process on weekdays at Uriarte International in Puebla's historic center.

The Barrio del Artista, or Artists Quarter, a block once occupied by a former colonial market, now houses galleries and workshops where visitors can watch artists at work and buy their finished products. Serious buyers and eavesdroppers alike enjoy a break at the Cafe del Artista overlooking the plaza, where the artists' union hosts music, poetry, folk dancing, theater and other cultural events.

Museums: Puebla is bursting with extraordinary museums, many of which occupy buildings that are museum pieces in themselves. The Amparo Museum, made up of two connected colonial buildings, is one of the finest, housing an extensive collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts, religious art and colonial art and furnishings from all over Mexico. The Casa del Alfeñique ("Sugar Candy House), covered in the blindingly ornate stucco work named after a candy made from sugar and egg whites, is now a museum detailing the Spanish conquest. The Casa de los Muñecos ("House of Dolls"), named for the grotesque figures on its facade rather than its contents, which includes a university museum hosting art, photography and other exhibits.﻿

Former Chronicle travel editor Christine Delsol is the author of "Pauline Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán" and a regular contributor to "Frommer's Mexico" and "Frommer's Cancún & the Yucatán."

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